PC errors are an inevitable part of owning a computer. However, many people fail to distinguish between PC errors and Windows errors. Windows errors are problems within the operating system – Windows – on your computer, while PC errors are general problems that can occur to any hardware or software program.

A recent article by Wired.com suggests that Windows errors might soon be a thing of the past. Today, Windows 7 is optimized surprisingly well, and blue screen errors are few and far between. Windows 7 features good compatibility between hardware and software, and the types of errors that plagued Windows users in XP and Vista seem to have disappeared.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that PCs are indestructible. There are still thousands of things that can go wrong with any computer. However, there is one type of problem that is becoming more common as PC technology improves – “soft errors.”

What are “soft errors”?

You might think soft errors are problems related to the software on your computer, but that’s not really the case. Instead, soft errors are problems related to the degradation of chips over time. Since your computer is basically an array of chips working together in perfect harmony, a small error in any one of these chipsets can cause a chain reaction of problems across the rest of your computer.

Chipmakers have been working frantically to reduce the number of soft errors that users experience, but they’re facing a problem – modern technology is reducing the size of chipsets to a point where one stray particle can cause irreversible damage to a chipset. So, while we might be able to enjoy having a supercomputer smartphone in the palms of our hands, smaller technology does increase the risk of soft errors.

Why does this happen? It’s easy to think that, with all of our new technology, we would have solved these problems a long time ago. But as chipsets get smaller and require more power, electrons start to leak out into nearby components. The smaller the chipset is, the higher chance there is of electrons spreading out into nearby chips.

When a soft error occurs, you might start experiencing all of the following PC problems:

What are “hard errors”?

Now that you know what soft errors are, you might be wondering about hard errors. Hard errors are problems that plague the chipset from the moment it leaves the factory. While soft errors develop over time, hard errors are there from Day 1. Both problems are difficult to fix, and both hard errors and soft errors can cause computers to instantly stop working.

How to fix soft errors

If your PC has been experiencing strange issues and crashes, or if it’s completely refusing to startup, then you could be the victim of soft errors. Try taking out any peripheral hardware you don’t need. For example, remove the video card, sound card, and one stick of RAM if possible. Then, test if your computer starts up. If it does, then there is some sort of problem with at least one of your hardware components.

Soft errors can’t be fixed by any type of software – not even professional PC repair software like PC Cleaner Pro. Instead, you’re going to have to take your computer into a repair shop or try to troubleshoot the hardware problem yourself.

The good news is that computer hardware isn’t expensive. If the chipboard in your RAM stick dies, then another one can be found for $30 to $50, if not cheaper. While video cards and hard drives are priced slightly higher, hardware replacement is generally cheaper than buying a new computer altogether. However, it does require some level of technical expertise in order to replace the components inside your desktop computer – and it might be impossible for laptop and tablet users to fix these types of problems.

Check out Wired.com to learn more about soft errors, hard errors, and what you can do to fix these irritating problems!

Unfortunately, there isn’t a free way to fix a PC “soft error”, but soft error repair isn’t as expensive as you might think. If your computer is experiencing any problems that aren’t soft errors, download your free trial of PC Cleaner Pro today to get those problems fixed!